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Phillies invite four players to Spring Training

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Press Release |

The Phillies have signed four players to minor league contracts with invitations to major league spring training as non-roster players, the club announced today.

Shawn Camp, RHP - Camp, 37, spent the first half of the 2013 season with the Chicago Cubs where he went 1-1 with a 7.04 ERA in 26 games. He had a 3.00 ERA in 16 road contests for the Cubs as opposed to a 14.63 ERA in 10 games at Wrigley Field. In July, Camp was released by Chicago and subsequently signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks to a minor league contract. Over the remainder of the season, he appeared in 17 games for triple-A Reno where he posted a 2.42 ERA in 22.1 innings. A 10-year Major League veteran, Camp has a 4.40 career ERA in 538 games between the Kansas City Royals (2004-05), Tampa Bay Rays (2006-07), Toronto Blue Jays (2008-11) and Cubs (2012-13).

Leandro Castro, OF - In 117 games for triple-A Lehigh Valley last season, Castro batted .256 with 23 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 55 RBI and 20 stolen bases. The 24-year-old hit .328 versus left-handed pitchers and played all three outfield positions for the IronPigs. He is currently playing for Estrellas de Oriente in the Dominican Winter League. A native of La Romana, Dominican Republic, Castro was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies in March of 2007.

Cesar Jimenez, LHP - Jimenez appeared in 19 games with Philadelphia last season, going 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA in 17.0 innings. He held left-handed hitters to a .143 average with only one extra-base hit in 28 at-bats. The 29-year-old also pitched in 36 games with triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2013, posting a 4-2 record and 3.12 ERA in 66.1 innings while averaging 8.68 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. He is currently pitching for Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League. Born in Cumana, Venezuela, Jimenez was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Seattle Mariners in July of 2001. He has spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the Mariners (2006, 2008, 2011) and Phillies (2013).

Clete Thomas, OF - Thomas batted .214 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 92 games with the Minnesota Twins last season and played all three outfield positions. He began the season with triple-A Rochester and batted .296 with nine home runs and 25 RBI in just 36 games prior to his recall. The Florida native was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft by the Detroit Tigers out of Auburn University. He has appeared in 249 career Major League games between the Tigers (2008-12) and Twins (2012-13).